Working Towards a Rainbow Flag Award

Posted at 10:18 am on 6th December, 2017

Wellacre Works Towards a Rainbow Flag Award

Wellacre has successfully been accepted onto a pioneering project to work towards achieving The Rainbow Flag Award.

Since May 2017, Wellacre staff and students have been busy working towards this new initiative. Our mission is to encourage a whole school approach to preventing homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying and ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusion throughout the school.

Mr Pemberton, Assistant Principal, and Mr Panter, Pastoral Assistant, are leading Wellacre on their journey to gaining the award. The project started with in-depth training courses on LGBT inclusion and tackling HBT bullying as well as LGBT inclusive policy, led by a former Ofsted Inspector. This wealth of knowledge and information was then disseminated to staff and governors.

The Pastoral Base now stocks information packs and leaflets which reach out to LGBT students, and promotes the support on offer in and out of school. A LGBT inclusive and celebratory display has also been created in school which offers a wealth of information and guidance.

Throughout Anti-Bullying Week, which began on 13th November, our student Anti-bullying Ambassadors reinforced the school’s mission by delivering assemblies, which focused on LGBT inclusivity and developing a broader understanding of gender.

Wellacre continues to work towards gaining this award with teaching staff developing LGBT inclusive and celebratory lesson plans for their subject and for RESPECT lessons, and form tutors displaying information on their class boards, including ‘Genderbread’ posters.

We invited students to apply to become Student Wellbeing Ambassadors and successful candidates received training in December, which included LGBT ambassador skills.

Mr Panter said: “At Wellacre, our aim is to encourage equality, celebrate difference and recognise difficulties, offering a variety of avenues for students to find support and advice. We will work tirelessly to achieve The Rainbow Flag Award as it will recognise and celebrate the efforts of both staff and students to ensure our aims.”

The Rainbow Flag Award was launched by The Proud Trust, who were successful in a funding bid from the Government Equalities Office, via the Department for Education. The grant will fund many initiatives that will enable schools to effectively combat and prevent Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic (HBT) bullying and promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) inclusion.